Gigante | Horse Racing Free Tips

The Virginia-bred Gigante (Not This Time) refused to let Nagirroc (Lea) by in the final yards as he gallantly defended his home turf in the GI Secretariat S. at Colonial Downs Saturday. The 22-1 longshot was shuffled back to last as Mo Stash (Mo Town) took the field through fractions of :23.67 and :48.03. The field bunched up around the far turf and Gigante was rolling up into contention four wide approaching the lane. He forged to the lead with a furlong to run and grittily held Nagirroc at bay to the wire.

“I think I got along pretty good with this horse in the post parade,” said winning rider Javier Castellano. “He acted very professionally. I had the best trip in the race. I was where I wanted to be today. There seemed to be a lot of speed in the race. He broke so well from the gate and put me in a good position. I just took my time and rode with a lot of patience, a lot of confidence and had the best result today.”

Favored Northern Invader (Collected) making just his fourth lifetime start and coming off an eight-length maiden victory at Belmont July 1, was shuffled was forced to steady on the first turn and raced keenly into the backstretch. He was moving with Gigante into the lane, but could match strides with the winner and came home fifth.

Gigante broke his maiden over the Colonial Downs turf last August and romped home a 6 3/4-length winner of the Sept. 6 Kitten's Joy S. in his next trip to the post. Off the board in a pair of graded efforts in Kentucky to end his juvenile campaign, the bay colt resurfaced this year with a win in the Caesars H. at Horseshoe Indianapolis in May. He was sixth in the July 1 American Derby at Ellis Park before returning to his home state to finish third in the July 15 Edward P Evans S. last time out.

Pedigree Notes:

Gigante is the 13th worldwide graded winner for Not This Time, who made headlines earlier in the week when a share to the Taylor Made stallion sold for $2 million at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale. Among his 13 graded winners, Yes This Time, Cogburn and Up to the Mark all earned their wins over the turf.

Summertime Green produced a colt by Gun Runner last year and a filly by Hard Spun this year. She was bred back to Not This Time's GI Travers S.-winning son Epicenter this year.

The mare's 2-year-old filly Afternoon Wedding (Audible) sold to Maverick Racing and Siena Farm for $160,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale.

Summertime Green RNA'd for $235,000 as a yearling at the 2009 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale. She made just one start for her breeder, William Backer, finishing sixth over the Colonial lawn in 2012.

Backer purchased Gigante's third dam, Deep Enough, for $35,000 at the 1992 Keeneland November sale. Her daughter, Crab Grass, was a four-time stakes winner in Backer's colors.

#2 Gigante and @jjcjockey upset in the G2 Secretariat S. at Colonial Downs at odds of 22/1!

The 3-year-old colt is trained by Steve Asmussen.

#TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/zQtijTLxEg

— TwinSpires Racing (@TwinSpires) August 12, 2023

Saturday, Colonial Downs
SECRETARIAT S.-GII, $500,000, Colonial Downs, 8-12, 3yo, 1mT, 1:35.10, fm.
1–GIGANTE, 121, c, 3, by Not This Time
1st Dam: Summertime Green, by Empire Maker
2nd Dam: Crab Grass, by Known Fact
3rd Dam: Deep Enough, by Raise a Native
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($120,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Iapetus Racing & Diamond T Racing; B-Ann Mudge Backer & Smitten Farm (VA); T-Steven M Asmussen; J-Javier Castellano. $306,900. Lifetime Record: 9-4-0-1, $583,550. *1/2 to Tryon Summer (Discreetly Mine), SW, $142,955. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Nagirroc, 121, c, 3, Lea–Emma Spencer (Ire), by Zamindar. O-Little Red Feather Racing, Madaket Stables LLC & William Strauss, William; B-Chervenell Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-H Graham Motion. $99,000.
3–Silver Knott (GB), 119, c, 3, Lope de Vega (Ire)–God Given (GB), by Nathaniel (Ire). (725,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Godolphin, LLC; B-St Albans Bloodstock LLP (GB); T-Charles Appleby. $49,500.
Margins: NK, 1 3/4, NO. Odds: 22.90, 2.20, 2.30.
Also Ran: Major Dude, Northern Invader, Mo Stash. Scratched: More Than Looks, Tee At One. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

The post Not This Time Colt A Big Upset Winner In Secretariat S. appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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With two graded events for distaffers and four for juveniles, including including four Breeders' Cup qualifiers, Sunday is basically Saturday part two from coast-to-coast.

The day's main event is the GI Juddmonte Spinster S. at Keeneland, A “Win and You're In” event, where champions Malathaat (Curlin) and Letruska (Super Saver) face off yet again. Malathaat looks to make amends for a solid third in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Distaff and she enters off a win in Saratoga's GI Personal Ensign S. Aug. 27.

Letruska, who won last year's Juddmonte, finished third in that prestigious Saratoga event and was off the board in her prior start in the GI Ogden Phipps S. Tyler Gaffalione takes over the controls for the first time from the Ortiz brothers, who both stayed home to ride in New York.

The other four members of this six-horse field will be likely be running for third and that group is topped by GIII Locust Grove S. winner Played Hard (Into Mischief).

Distaffers take center stage at Belmont as well with 3-year-old filly leader Nest (Curlin) taking on her elders for the first time in the GII Beldame S. at Aqueduct. Heavily favored against four severely overmatched competitors, the bay should be able to secure a very easy victory here ahead of a likely next start in the Breeders' Cup. Runner-up in the GI Belmont S., Nest romped by 12 1/4 lengths in the GI CCA Oaks at Saratoga July 23 and dominated that venue's GI Alabama S. next out Aug. 20.

“She's run well against the boys and all the best fillies of her generation, but first time against elders is always a challenge,” said trainer Todd Pletcher. “She showed a lot of talent and class in her races against 3-year-olds and we would expect her to handle the step up.”

MGSW Travel Column (Frosted) stretches back out after a failed effort in the GI Ballerina H. Aug. 28 and First to Act (Curlin) enters off a good second in the Summer Colony S. Aug. 19.

Juveniles Compete for Breeders' Cup Berth

Aqueduct hosts a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint Sunday in the GIII Futurity S. Several competitors enter off strong maiden wins, including Nagirroc (Lea), who graduated over this course and distance Sept. 24 in his first start for Graham Motion.

“He's been pretty classy in the morning since I've got him,” said Motion. “I haven't had him for that long and I was impressed with what he had done, but I certainly would not have expected him to run the way he did. I thought it was a very good effort. He won very comfortably.”

Inflation Nation (Ire) (Speightstown) missed by a head on debut at Saratoga, but got it done next out there Sept. 1 for Christophe Clement.

Mike Maker sends out Gaslight Dancer (City of Light), who did no running on dirt in his Churchill unveiling in August, but graduated by five lengths when switched to turf at Kentucky Downs Sept. 3.

Determined Jester (Practical Joke) takes on the boys in this event after breaking her maiden in Colonial's Rosies S. in her third career start Sept. 6.

Meanwhile at Keeneland, 2-year-old turf routers get their chance to earn a spot in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf starting gate in the GII Castle and Key Bourbon S. GIII With Anticipation S. winner Boppy O (Bolt d'Oro) leads this large and competitive field. He has already proven this distance is right up his alley.

Steve Asmussen has a live on here in Gigante (Not This Time), who ran away to a 6 3/4-length score over Rarified Air (Honor Code) in the Kitten's Joy S. going 1 1/16 miles at that venue Sept. 6.

Kentucky Downs Juvenile S. winner Reckoning Force (Air Force Blue) makes his first start for Brendan Walsh here after a quartet of races for Joseph O'Brien. Third-place Really Good (Hard Spun) adds blinkers this time.

Keeneland also plays host to a qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint in the Indian Summer S. Wesley Ward sends out the favorite there in the filly Love Reigns (Ire) (U S Navy Flag). The 'TDN Rising Star' captured Saratoga's Bolton Landing S. last out Aug. 21.

While they may not be “Win and You're Ins,” Santa Anita also hosts a pair of juvenile turf events in the GIII Surfer Girl S. and GIII Zuma Beach S., which will likely contain potential Breeders' Cup competitors.

The fillies are up first in the Surfer Girl, which is being run at graded status for the first time this year. European import Comanche Country (Ire) (Highland Reel {Ire}) is two-for-two since coming to America, most recently taking the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf S. Sept. 10. Sell the Dream (Munnings) and Excelia (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) were second and third in that event.

Packs a Wahlop (Creative Cause) tops the Zuma Beach after a decisive score in the GIII Del Mar Juvenile Turf S. and is two-for-two on grass. Dandy Man Shines (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) was fourth in that event and is still a maiden. Also of interest here is undefeated Cal-bred Giver Not a Taker (Danzing Candy), who took the state-bred I'm Smokin S. last out Sept. 9 at Del Mar.

The post Distaffers and Juveniles in the Spotlight Sunday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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